Baptist News Global
Sections
  • News
  • Analysis
  • Opinion
  • Curated
  • Storytelling
    • Faith & Justice >
      • Charleston: Metanoia with Bill Stanfield
      • Charlotte: QC Family Tree with Greg and Helms Jarrell
      • Little Rock: Judge Wendell Griffen
      • North Carolina: Conetoe
    • Welcoming the Stranger >
      • Lost Boys of Sudan: St. John’s Baptist Charlotte
      • Awakening to Immigrant Justice: Myers Park Baptist Church
      • Hospitality on the corner: Gaston Christian Center
    • Signature Ministries >
      • Jake Hall: Gospel Gothic, Music and Radio
    • Singing Our Faith >
      • Hymns for a Lifetime: Ken Wilson and Knollwood Baptist Church
      • Norfolk Street Choir
    • Resilient Rural America >
      • Alabama: Perry County
      • Texas: Hidalgo County
      • Arkansas Delta
      • Southeast Kentucky
  • More
    • Contact
    • About
    • Donate
    • Associated Baptist Press Foundation
    • Planned Giving
    • Letters to the Editor
    • Advertising
    • Ministry Jobs and More
    • Transitions
    • Subscribe
    • Submissions and Permissions
Donate Subscribe
Search Search this site

The season to ‘stir-it up’

OpinionScott Dickison  |  November 24, 2014

By Scott Dickison

I recently learned of a tradition in the Anglican Church that celebrates the final Sunday before Advent as “Stir-Up Sunday.”

Apparently the name “Stir-Up Sunday” comes from the opening words of the collect for the day in the Book of Common Prayer. The prayer reads,

Stir-up, O Lord, the wills of your faithful people;
that they, plenteously bringing forth the fruit of good works,
may by you be plenteously rewarded;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.

A beautiful prayer, no doubt, but what interests me about “Stir-Up Sunday” isn’t its origins but how it’s celebrated. Stir-Up Sunday is traditionally the day when British families gather in the kitchen to make Christmas pudding, with each family member taking a turn to “stir up” the ingredients.

Christmas pudding is an oh-so-British holiday treat dating back to medieval times that’s made by boiling down fruits with egg, shortening and spices (You might know it by another name, “figgy pudding,” featured in the Christmas carol, We Wish You a Merry Christmas). It takes several days to congeal, so the idea is that you make it far in advance so it will be ready to enjoy at Christmas dinner.

Traditionally the pudding is made with 13 ingredients to represent Christ and the 12 apostles, and each family member takes a turn stirring one in and making a wish. Tradition even dictates that one is to stir from east to west in honor of the three wise men’s journey — they’ve thought of everything.

Now, I’m not suggesting that your family try your hand at Christmas pudding this year — though that could be a lot of fun. But I am suggesting that what’s behind this tradition — gathering with loved ones to prepare for the coming Advent and Christmas season, and doing so by making foods that are special and meaningful to all of you (most families have their own Christmas pudding recipe that’s handed down through the generations) — well, these are traditions worth considering. In fact, I suspect many of you already have a practice of doing so, though we do it by another name: Thanksgiving.

It just so happens that Stir-Up Sunday falls on either the Sunday before or after Thanksgiving (this year it was before). Of course, Thanksgiving kicks-off what’s come to be known as “the holiday season,” though these days the Christmas music at the mall is rolled out closer to Halloween. And there’s certainly a purely commercial way to approach this time between Thanksgiving and Christmas. But there’s also a deeply spiritual way. You might say that Christmas completes what Thanksgiving begins.

At Thanksgiving we gather with friends and loved ones and celebrate all our many blessings; recognizing that we are blessed with much more than we deserve. Of course, this is not an exclusively Christian idea, but it gestures toward where Christian faith begins: understanding that God is the source of all life and not “we ourselves,” as the Psalmist puts it. Or as Frederick Buechner puts it, “You might never have been, but here you are.” What better reason to be thankful?

G.K. Chesterton once said, “Gratitude is happiness doubled by wonder.” I like that. And I can’t think of a better way of approaching this most holy time of year. The spirit of thankfulness begins by enjoying all that we have been blessed with, but it’s made complete by standing in wonder of the incarnate presence of God that makes all these many blessings possible. And it’s this element of wonder that we name and celebrate at Christmas.

So we might say that Thanksgiving prepares us for Advent, which prepares us for Christmas. We begin with thanks for what God has given and end with wonder at what God has done. And the beauty is that this isn’t just an approach to the holidays, but also to the life of faith.

So go ahead and stir something up, be it Christmas pudding or sweet-potato casserole. Dust off those decorations and pull those family recipes out of the drawer. Get the Spirit moving! And get others involved. See what beautiful and delicious things you can make together, because when it comes down to it, that’s what incarnation is all about.


OPINION: Views expressed in Baptist News Global columns and commentaries are solely those of the authors.
Tags:Scott DickisonThanksgivingGratitudeCommentariesLiturgical Year
More by
Scott Dickison
  • Get BNG headlines in your inbox

  • Featured

    • Here’s what I’m learning in therapy

      Opinion

    • Tony and Lauren Dungy know something about influence, on the field and at home

      News

    • Skepticism holds seeds of hope: The SBC and clergy sex abuse

      Opinion

    • Letter to the Editor: I also stand with Brittney Griner and kneel for the Anthem

      Opinion


    Curated

    • Politicians seek to control classroom discussions about slavery in the US

      Politicians seek to control classroom discussions about slavery in the US

      August 12, 2022
    • Despite vastly different values, evangelical ‘Hamilton’ connects secular left and Christian right

      Despite vastly different values, evangelical ‘Hamilton’ connects secular left and Christian right

      August 12, 2022
    • Both Open- and Close-mindedness Increase in U.S.

      Both Open- and Close-mindedness Increase in U.S.

      August 12, 2022
    • Native Americans urge boycott of ‘tone deaf’ Pilgrim museum

      Native Americans urge boycott of ‘tone deaf’ Pilgrim museum

      August 12, 2022
    Read Next:

    When conservatives today speak of ‘states’ rights,’ they likely don’t mean the popular vote; here’s a case in point

    AnalysisMark Wingfield

    More Articles

    • All
    • News
    • Opinion
    • Curated
    • Department of Justice investigating SBC on sexual abuse

      NewsMark Wingfield

    • ‘Everything is changing at the same time,’ veteran religion reporter explains

      NewsJeff Brumley

    • Skepticism holds seeds of hope: The SBC and clergy sex abuse

      OpinionChrista Brown

    • Tony and Lauren Dungy know something about influence, on the field and at home

      NewsMaina Mwaura

    • Here’s what I’m learning in therapy

      OpinionMark Wingfield

    • Letter to the Editor: I also stand with Brittney Griner and kneel for the Anthem

      OpinionLetters to the Editor

    • It’s easier to be a bully today, author explains

      NewsJeff Brumley

    • A thoughtful question at Bubba-Doo’s

      OpinionCharles Qualls

    • When conservatives today speak of ‘states’ rights,’ they likely don’t mean the popular vote; here’s a case in point

      AnalysisMark Wingfield

    • Transitions for the week of 8-12-22

      NewsBarbara Francis

    • SBC president says he tried to enlist more women for sexual abuse task force but got turned down repeatedly

      NewsMark Wingfield

    • At long last, Trump’s ‘Remain in Mexico’ policy appears to be dead

      NewsJeff Brumley

    • In applauding Victor Orban, U.S. conservatives call their shot

      OpinionRodney Kennedy

    • Christian nationalism is a danger to our nation

      OpinionMarvin McMickle

    • How The Jetsons and Westworld help us think about robots, personhood and faith

      AnalysisRick Pidcock

    • Some evangelical leaders see FBI visit to Trump’s Mar-a-Lago as evidence of the religious persecution coming to them

      NewsMark Wingfield

    • Advice from a sunflower

      OpinionPhawnda Moore

    • Where are the women on the SBC’s first and second sexual abuse task forces?

      AnalysisMark Wingfield

    • New study finds scammers luring migrants with false information via Facebook and WhatsApp

      NewsJeff Brumley

    • What I learned at Wake Forest Baptist Church

      OpinionDavid Ramsey

    • Progressive Baptist congregation on Wake Forest campus votes to close

      NewsMark Wingfield

    • Ministry jobs and more

      NewsBarbara Francis

    • Why can’t we accept sexual and gender diversity in humans as well as in all creation?

      OpinionDan McGee

    • I’ve been unaware of my privilege, and if you are a man, you probably have, too

      OpinionRobert P. Sellers

    • South African women’s soccer team success shines a light on gender wage discrimination

      NewsAnthony Akaeze

    • Department of Justice investigating SBC on sexual abuse

      NewsMark Wingfield

    • ‘Everything is changing at the same time,’ veteran religion reporter explains

      NewsJeff Brumley

    • Tony and Lauren Dungy know something about influence, on the field and at home

      NewsMaina Mwaura

    • It’s easier to be a bully today, author explains

      NewsJeff Brumley

    • Transitions for the week of 8-12-22

      NewsBarbara Francis

    • SBC president says he tried to enlist more women for sexual abuse task force but got turned down repeatedly

      NewsMark Wingfield

    • At long last, Trump’s ‘Remain in Mexico’ policy appears to be dead

      NewsJeff Brumley

    • Some evangelical leaders see FBI visit to Trump’s Mar-a-Lago as evidence of the religious persecution coming to them

      NewsMark Wingfield

    • New study finds scammers luring migrants with false information via Facebook and WhatsApp

      NewsJeff Brumley

    • Progressive Baptist congregation on Wake Forest campus votes to close

      NewsMark Wingfield

    • Ministry jobs and more

      NewsBarbara Francis

    • South African women’s soccer team success shines a light on gender wage discrimination

      NewsAnthony Akaeze

    • It isn’t a church and doesn’t have members, but it is a way to keep United Methodists in the fold as their congregations disaffiliate

      NewsCynthia Astle

    • Rural church offers community development grants through Gratitude Project

      NewsJeff Brumley

    • The church needs to do better on monkeypox than it did on HIV, faith leaders say

      NewsMark Wingfield

    • Russell Moore named editor in chief of Christianity Today

      NewsMark Wingfield

    • 40 Congressmen urge IRS to reconsider classification of Family Research Council as a ‘church’

      NewsMark Wingfield

    • Online religion content isn’t luring Millennials away from in-person church

      NewsJeff Brumley

    • Ministry jobs and more

      NewsBarbara Francis

    • Study finds congregational leaders report LGBTQ conversations are worth the pain

      NewsMark Wingfield

    • There’s something odd about this Mary, did you know?

      NewsMark Wingfield

    • Cuban government clamps down more on religion

      NewsJeff Brumley

    • September symposium will celebrate life and legacy of John Claypool

      NewsMark Wingfield

    • Faith leaders urge Congress to fund help for families torn apart by Trump’s ‘cruel’ family separation policy

      NewsJeff Brumley

    • It’s possible some senior adults in your church need help with medical costs or food but won’t say anything

      NewsJeff Brumley

    • Skepticism holds seeds of hope: The SBC and clergy sex abuse

      OpinionChrista Brown

    • Here’s what I’m learning in therapy

      OpinionMark Wingfield

    • Letter to the Editor: I also stand with Brittney Griner and kneel for the Anthem

      OpinionLetters to the Editor

    • A thoughtful question at Bubba-Doo’s

      OpinionCharles Qualls

    • In applauding Victor Orban, U.S. conservatives call their shot

      OpinionRodney Kennedy

    • Christian nationalism is a danger to our nation

      OpinionMarvin McMickle

    • Advice from a sunflower

      OpinionPhawnda Moore

    • What I learned at Wake Forest Baptist Church

      OpinionDavid Ramsey

    • Why can’t we accept sexual and gender diversity in humans as well as in all creation?

      OpinionDan McGee

    • I’ve been unaware of my privilege, and if you are a man, you probably have, too

      OpinionRobert P. Sellers

    • Are left-wing radicals pushing Cracker Barrel to the edge of the slippery slope?

      OpinionBrett Younger

    • To be more welcoming, let’s remove our flags

      OpinionJustin Pierson

    • News flash: Not all Baptists are Southern

      OpinionBrian Kaylor

    • Why aren’t we defending Brittney Griner?

      OpinionRodney Kennedy

    • A school administrator reflects on rebuilding relationships between schools and homes

      OpinionStanton Eugene Lawrence

    • Judging the stripper and the carouser in ourselves at the Communion table

      OpinionBrad Bull

    • After the Guidepost report, we need to know more about FBC Woodstock’s City of Refuge and NAMB’s support for it: Was ‘moral failures’ code for sexual abuse?

      OpinionJoanna Sullivan

    • Forsaking Baal for the God who is in recovery

      OpinionBill Leonard, Senior Columnist

    • Thomas Merton, Martin Luther King and Critical Race Theory

      OpinionKen Zagacki

    • What evangelicals won’t tell you about the actual sin of Sodom

      OpinionRodney Kennedy

    • Giving birth in prison: The grief of separation, the grace of presence

      OpinionKathy Manis Findley

    • Dear Denny Burk, your view of gender is not biblical, it is dangerous

      OpinionEllie Dote

    • Roger Williams, the father of American deconstruction

      OpinionAlan Bean

    • Why I’m an LGBTQ ally who won’t boycott Chick-fil-A

      OpinionMark Wingfield

    • Do the arts in church still matter?

      OpinionDoug Haney

    • Politicians seek to control classroom discussions about slavery in the US

      Curated

      Exclude from home pageBNG staff

    • Despite vastly different values, evangelical ‘Hamilton’ connects secular left and Christian right

      Curated

      Exclude from home pageBNG staff

    • Both Open- and Close-mindedness Increase in U.S.

      Curated

      Exclude from home pageBNG staff

    • Native Americans urge boycott of ‘tone deaf’ Pilgrim museum

      Curated

      Exclude from home pageBNG staff

    • Boston’s Jews are getting a ‘Jewish tavern’ to study religious text — and drink beer

      Curated

      Exclude from home pageBNG staff

    • ReAwaken Tour host says he feels harassed by NY prosecutor

      Curated

      Exclude from home pageBNG staff

    • Why the largest US Lutheran denomination apologized to a Latino congregation

      Curated

      Exclude from home pageBNG staff

    • The Supreme Court Wants to End the Separation of Church and State

      Curated

      Exclude from home pageBNG staff

    • Suspect in Dallas salon May shooting indicted for anti-Asian hate crime

      Curated

      Exclude from home pageBNG staff

    • Anglican Division over Scripture and Sexuality Heads South

      Curated

      Exclude from home pageBNG staff

    • Amy Spitalnick, who took on neo-Nazis in Charlottesville, is moving to Bend the Arc

      Curated

      Exclude from home pageBNG staff

    • New York City’s Largest Evangelical Church Plans Billion-Dollar Development

      Curated

      Exclude from home pageBNG staff

    • Ben & Jerry’s fears its new Israeli owner could sell ‘Judea and Samaria’ ice cream in latest court hearing

      Curated

      Exclude from home pageBNG staff

    • Why Alexander Hamilton gave his heart to Jesus at a Texas church this weekend

      Curated

      Exclude from home pageBNG staff

    • Baby Blues: How to Face the Church’s Growing Fertility Crisis

      Curated

      Exclude from home pageBNG staff

    • Orthodox Alaska Part 2: The Beatles, Bees And Orthodoxy Animated In One Man’s Life

      Curated

      Exclude from home pageBNG staff

    • Hundreds of thousands gather for mass prayer in Baghdad

      Curated

      Exclude from home pageBNG staff

    • Ukrainian seminary professor faces difficult decisions

      Curated

      Exclude from home pageBNG staff

    • Nondenominational Churches Are Adding Millions of Members. Where Are They Coming From?

      Curated

      Exclude from home pageBNG staff

    • The Religious Right’s Agenda Is Center Stage Again — And It’s As Unpopular As Ever

      Curated

      Exclude from home pageBNG staff

    • After Trump, Christian nationalist ideas are going mainstream – despite a history of violence

      Curated

      Exclude from home pageBNG staff

    • At flashpoint Jerusalem holy site, whispered prayers defy unwritten accord

      Curated

      Exclude from home pageBNG staff

    • Assemblies of God Ordains Record Number of Women

      Curated

      Exclude from home pageBNG staff

    • Whoopi Goldberg, Elisabeth Hasselbeck debate God’s position on abortion on ‘The View’

      Curated

      Exclude from home pageBNG staff

    • Pope Francis’ Pilgrimage of Penance: A Step on the Nonviolent Journey

      Curated

      Exclude from home pageBNG staff

    Conversations that Matter.

    © 2022 Baptist News Global. All rights reserved.

    Want to share a story? We hope you will! Read our republishing, terms of use and privacy policies here.

    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    • Instagram
    • LinkedIn
    • RSS